Founders Porter

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

bottle. Entirely opaque black pour even when held to light. Half inch of creamy coffee colored head that clears, but leaves a nice ring and layer. Big, thick roasty aroma with some notes of coffee and acrid smoke. Sexy? Flavor is indeed dripping with hot lovin. Big, heavy, chewy roasted malts. Light floral bitterness with some similar hop character behind it. Some faint toasty sweetness in the background. Brew becomes even smoother as it warms- very nice evolution in a single pour. Notes of cocoa and bittersweet bakers chocolate, espresso, and some boozy liquor. Incredibly deep, flavorful, and inviting. Palate is full, thick, and creamy, thought with little if any slickness or oilyness. Mildly bitter finish. Overall, a damn superb porter and a damn superb all around beer.

Near black body. Thin head. Preliminary (cold) aroma is hoppy and roasty. More coffee notes emerge as it warms. The body is creamy, with a little bit of fudgeyness. Long, dry finish. A very hoppy brew. Overall, an intense black beer that eschews the traditional concept of a porter by a wide margin. Taken for what it is, I think I’d prefer a little sweetness to round out the harsher edges of the hops.

Bottle thanks to Daknole! Thick viscous black with small brown tight head. Rich mocha aroma is fudgy with some delicious chicory smoke in there too. Great silken mouthfeel is smooth. Fudge beer. Total dark chocolate mocha fudge in a glass. Lingering chocolate aftertaste, lovely balance of sweet and roasty.

12 oz. bottle (2009) in a shaker. Pours a rich, opaque black w/ an incredibly beautiful pillowy mottled chocolate head that rapidly diminishes into some sparking bubbles/surf. Aroma is dominated by coffee w/ undertones of milk chocolate and light brandy; flavor ir again heavy w/ coffee, chocolate, roasted malts and the teeniest hint of vanilla; thin-medium bodied, finishing very much like black coffee (coffee/chicory bitterness) and a little dry. Probably the best porter I have had thus far- yummy.

12oz shorty bottle. Wowsers. I had high expectations, and they have certainly been met. Opaque black with thick tan head. Awesome choco-coffee aroma, oh so sweet and pleasant. Roasty and full bodied, there is also quite a formidable bitterness to this Porter. This is certainly one of the best Porters I’ve ever had. Rich and tasty. Top notch.

Bottle from Dave. Eaaaaaaaaaaspointttttt. Faint nose of ashy burnt malts, big coffee, dark chocolate. Flavor plays between chocolate malts and some caramel sweetness. Flows well, deeply integrated. Nice bitter transition in the finish. This porter makes sense. Not mind blowing in any sense, but still a top notch example of the style. Highly enjoyable. Thanks dude.

12 oz bottle courtesy of the Binnys Singles Rack (Orland Park, IL). Pours a dark blackish brown, mostly opaque, with decent dark brown head that bubbles and dissipates to a smaller layer and laces. Aromas are chocolate and caramel right off the bat, with lighter coffee and roast notes with some darker fruits nestled in. Faint bitterness. Initial is medium bodied, not packing on a face slap in the taste department. Smooth chocolate and caramel, light creaminess, decent roast that isn’t overpowering with faint peanut (for some reason), light dark fruit, and decent bitterness and floral on the end and finish. Overall, this drinks smooth and well without any harsh notes. It lacks defining characters, but what it does offer is a well rounded Porter that would be welcome anywhere. I prefer the Fullers Londer personally, but they are both significantly different. Cheers.

Black, thin tan creamy head. Charred chocolate and caramel cream aromas warm to a deep roasty coffee berry-like tone. Dark chocolate and black currant notes balance on a light bitter coffee swirl. A touch of hops late rounds this out to near perfection. Medium bodied and smooth, soft carbonation, bittersweet, roasty finish. A fantastic session porter (bordering stout) that will certainly become part of the dark beer rotation. So good to have you in DC now…